Excellent piece - should be writ large on the walls of every newsroom in NZ. A good MP can stay up half the night reading the submissions to SC and many of them do repeat the same points. Not sure if I'm correct, but I think NZ is one of the few democratic countries (Westminster system) which allows submitters to appear in person? SC also are tasked with the appearances of HO departments, ministries, and so on. But they are great places - a pity the public don't see them at work more often as the Select Committee in action is nothing like the debating chamber. Good working relationships across parties are forged in the select committee room - especially as MPs from small parties often have to sub for their fellow MPs on another committe.
One of the worst things that could happen IMO is broadcasting them - Geoffrey Palmer has suggested this recently - because the incentive to rmaintain those good, workmanlike relationships would be destroyed by the incentive to create viral content. Which is why US Senate and House committee hearings are just performative charades.
There was a time when you could ask your MP to ensure you got at least one "difficult" question from a .member of a select committee to which you knew the answer. Probs still works 😊
Excellent piece - should be writ large on the walls of every newsroom in NZ. A good MP can stay up half the night reading the submissions to SC and many of them do repeat the same points. Not sure if I'm correct, but I think NZ is one of the few democratic countries (Westminster system) which allows submitters to appear in person? SC also are tasked with the appearances of HO departments, ministries, and so on. But they are great places - a pity the public don't see them at work more often as the Select Committee in action is nothing like the debating chamber. Good working relationships across parties are forged in the select committee room - especially as MPs from small parties often have to sub for their fellow MPs on another committe.
One of the worst things that could happen IMO is broadcasting them - Geoffrey Palmer has suggested this recently - because the incentive to rmaintain those good, workmanlike relationships would be destroyed by the incentive to create viral content. Which is why US Senate and House committee hearings are just performative charades.
As is question time in the House
There was a time when you could ask your MP to ensure you got at least one "difficult" question from a .member of a select committee to which you knew the answer. Probs still works 😊